Comparison of Marketing and Communication Strategy of the Prague International Marathon and Valencia Marathon

This work studies and compares the marketing and communication strategies developed and applied by the Prague International Marathon and the Valencia Marathon. Both organizers of these events share associable attributes, among which the fact that they are holders of IAAF Road Race Label recognitions and hence are relevant and convenient for comparison. The work first defines the ‘high level’ corporate mission and goals that these organizations want to achieve. Then, it continues to analyze how these goals are translated into marketing objectives, how the communication mix looks like, and which concrete actions are taken to implement this integrated system. Relevant information is gathered by direct involvement in and influence on the planning and implementation of these strategies, correspondence and personal interviews with relevant decision makers, available literature, as well as by having access to all the organizations’ publications, reports, and other documents. The result of this paper offers concrete practical examples of how the marketing and communication departments of two marathon and long distance running organizers function, which could be utilized by other marathon organizers and academic workers.